The goal of the proposed research is to provide information leading to the development of improved dental amalgams. The approach will be to evaluate the microstructural features of 15 dental amalgams for which clinical performance characteristics have been quantitated on a companion project. A correlational analysis will be performed to identify those microstructural features which relate to clinical performance. The unamalgamated alloys will be analyzed for metallurgical structure and composition to determine those alloy characteristics which produce the relevant microstructural features in the amalgams. In this way, a basis will be established for the improvement of present alloys and the design of new alloys. Methods of analysis will include microprobe and X-ray diffraction analysis as well as optical metallography. In addition, creep characteristics and transverse strength of corroded specimens will be analyzed for correlation to the relevant microstructural features.